This invention relates generally to support racks for mounting electronic equipment, and in particular to a relay rack with a swinging door frame that may be opened from either the left or right hand side, and a rack which further can be selectively altered in depth without dismounting the equipment.
A rack for electronic components is frequently used with various types of computer and telecommunications equipment to support, organize, and protect the components. Each rack typically has a swinging gate or door frame that pivotally opens like a door to provide access to the components for purposes of repair or modification. Ideally, every electronic component, wherever it is mounted on the rack, may be easily reached after opening the door frame. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to reach all components, or it may be necessary to dismount some equipment in order to access hard-to-reach areas. For instance, components near a left hand side of the rack may be significantly obscured by wiring or other components when a door frame swings open exclusively from a right hand side. Further, it can be difficult to swing the door frame completely open when a rack is installed in a relatively tight place, located closely adjacent to equipment or walls that block the door frame from swinging open in one direction, thus limiting the freedom to place the rack in any desired location.
A useful feature for improving accessibility to electronic components is a door frame that may be swung open from either the left or right hand side. This flexibility permits greater access to electronic components in the rack. Further, a two-way opening door frame permits greater freedom to place the rack in any desired location with lesser regard to nearby obstructions. Since either side may open, an obstruction that blocks a door frame from swinging fully open in one direction is of lesser importance, since swinging is unlimited in the other direction.
A drawback to prior racks having two-way opening door frames is that such racks are often complex in design. Typically, these door frames require several moving parts such as levers and latches to mechanize a pivotal motion about either of two vertical axes. Also, complex safety devices are typically included to prevent both sides of the door frame from being inadvertently unlatched at the same time, which could result in the door frame falling off the rack. These mechanisms add cost and increase likelihood of mechanical failure.
Thus there is a need for a relay rack that incorporates a door frame which may be swung open from either the left or right hand side while preventing accidental detachment of the door frame from the rack, and that has a reliable mechanism that minimizes moveable parts and reduces complexity.
In another aspect, relay racks of the prior art are not easily expandable in size or capacity. When a need arises for more capability, racks are often wholly replaced by larger racks. That necessitates a process that typically includes disconnecting all of the electronics mounted on the rack, replacing the rack and associated wall attachments, and reconnecting the electronics on a larger rack. The process takes much time, and meanwhile operation of the electronic equipment is interrupted. Thus there is a need for a process for efficiently expanding the capacity of a relay rack without disconnecting any electronics.